


so move me

by fabulousfairytales



Series: schmico AU ville [1]
Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ballet, Fluff, M/M, Schmico
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-20
Updated: 2018-11-20
Packaged: 2019-08-26 15:56:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16684627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fabulousfairytales/pseuds/fabulousfairytales
Summary: When Levi was a kid, his mother had signed him up for ballet classes. Life happened and he had to quit to pursue his dream of becoming a doctor. But when a certain fellow winked at him, he knew that he had to do something to get a grip on his increasing clumsiness.





	so move me

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by Movement by Hozier and @marking-stars on tumblr for writing a ballet AU.  
> I gotta say I really enjoyed writing this one, it's kinda my favourite thing that I ever wrote. I tried to be as accurate as my research allowed me to so pls don't kill me if I got something wrong haha.

When Levi was a kid, his mother had signed him up for ballet classes. Ever since they went to see Coppélia, the boy was fascinated by the people onstage and their delicate movements. So he told his mother that he wanted to be a ballet dancer. His mom, always being supportive of the ideas her boy came up with, went to a dancing school with him the very next day. Her son was also the clumsiest child she’d ever seen and she hoped that it would improve his coordination skills.

His first class was two weeks later. Little Levi loved it. Dancing with the instructor and the other kids made him giggle and smile. He felt pretty and free and he wanted to do it forever. He wanted to become as good as the ballet dancers they have seen onstage. He too, wanted to tell a story through movements. He too wanted to get the audience to feel different things by just dancing his little heart out. He too wanted to wear those pretty outfits, making everyone look at him in awe.

His mother was glad that her little boy was happy and that he had stopped accidentally breaking things around the house.

-

One day in fifth grade, a boy in his class found out about Levi being a ballet dancer. He tried to make fun of him by calling him ugly names, however, Levi didn’t care. His friends didn’t care either. They thought that it was cool how flexible he was and that he was able to do an Arabesque and to put both his legs behind his head. That’s just how a kid in his class was the epitome of coolness.

Levi was still training hard. His movements got smoother with every year and to his mother, watching him dance was the most beautiful thing to look at. He was happy. And seeing him like that warmed her heart.

Levi didn’t know this, but back then money was tight and his mom was working her ass off to provide for them. One of her co-workers suggested pulling Levi out of ballet to save some money, but she could’ve never done that to him. She’d rather take all the shifts she could get than to take from her boy’s happiness.

He may want to do this forever, he may change his mind in a year, but she would never be the one to tell him to stop.

-

The last year before graduating school was the toughest. Levi had to study all the time while still maintaining ballet school. His friends at high school told him that he could just take a break from ballet, but Levi wasn’t ready to give up yet. He knew that if he actually got into medicine, there probably wouldn’t be any time left for this, so he wanted to enjoy it while it lasted. And he did.

Although it was stressful, he made the most of it and even landed the role of Franz in the production of Coppélia of his ballet school. Dancing in a big production like this had always been his dream. The venue was completely sold out. Levi didn’t know if he should be excited or terrified. His gut told him to be terrified, but there was no time for that. It could be the last production that he’ll ever be a part of, so he decided to cast all his fears aside and to just enjoy the experience.

It was the last production he was a part of.

The second the set foot on the stage, all his worries were swept away. He danced his heart out, feeling the pain and confusion of Franz being torn apart between his fiancée Swanhilda and Coppélia. For him it wasn’t just about two people. For Levi it was about so much more than that. It was about the ballet and medicine. Two different worlds that he juggles, knowing that one day he’ll have to say goodbye to one. There was also something else that confused him, but he couldn’t pinpoint it yet.

When after the last scene the curtain fell, and they were all thanking the audience for coming, he could see his mom in the first row, wiping away tears from her eyes. She was so proud of him. Of his passion, his discipline. She was glad that she worked hard to keep him in his ballet classes, because his happiness was worth more than anything money could’ve bought. She knew about his struggle with having to maybe give up ballet soon, but she was glad that she could give him this for a few years.

Levi got into med school and as expected, it was hard. He studied so much that after a few weeks, he had to officially take a break from ballet. He already knew that it would take a long time until he would be able to take up ballet again, if ever again, but he didn’t want to call it an end, because that just sounded too depressing.

-

If you had to define a person as gay panic, it would be Levi. He didn’t even know that he was gay until Dr. Nico Kim was winking at him in surgery and it had made him feel things, he never knew were possible by just being winked at by someone. That’s when his streak of clumsiness had begun. He’d always been a little clumsy and it’s gotten worse after he took the break from ballet, but this, this wasn’t just the lack of training. It was him being a panicked gay disaster every time Dr. Kim was around him. How did he even do that?

One day, after Dr. Kim had flirted with him again, he actually tripped over transparent air and fell face first to the ground. He was lucky that Nico had quick reflexes and caught him, so he only grazed the floor very lightly. He muttered a quick “Thank you” and fled the scene. That was the moment when he had decided to resume ballet.

He bought new ballet shoes and put them into his locker so that when he was off he could just go to a studio to train or look for an empty room when he was on call.

-

The first time he went to the studio that was only a few blocks away, Levi was nervous. He didn’t want anybody from the hospital to see him.

When he was in school, it was different. His friends already knew that he was a ballet dancer. They never knew him at a point where he wasn’t one. But as of right now, nobody knew about it. He wasn’t ashamed of it per se, but he was a little worried that people would see him in a different light. A light that his classmate from fifth grade had seen him.

But being seen by someone he knew, wasn’t his only concern. He hadn’t really danced in years. Sure, he sometimes was still doing some pirouettes in his old, worn out shoes or stretching his body extensively, but it’s been some time since he went into a studio to just dance. What if he already forgot everything again? What if he wasn’t in good enough shape anymore? What if he just sucked now? He used to love it. But now he was terrified.

However, the second he stepped foot into the dancing space, his anxiety evaporated into thin air. He smiled as he put the earbuds in. Turning up the music, he closed his eyes for a few seconds and started warming up.

-

He hadn’t told anyone about resuming ballet. Neither his old ballet buddies he was still talking nor his mother, since he was afraid that he was out of the loop. But when he turned on the song of his favorite part of Coppélia, it was like a switch flipped in his head. It was as if he never stopped. The choreography was still engraved into his bones and muscles. His movements were swift and stable, staying in rhythm and feeling as light as a feather. Maybe not as delicate as they used to be, but still graceful. He was sure that his mother would love to watch him again. And maybe one day when he felt confident enough, he would bring her and make her proud.

After the song was over, he came to a stop and looked at himself in the reflection of the mirror. He was determined to train his ass off to get as close as possible to his best shape from years ago. He knew that it might be impossible to reach since all those years out of practice didn’t do him anything good. But he wasn’t doing this so that anyone else could admire him. No, he did it for himself.

And now, that he finally understood what it was that had him so confused for his whole life, he felt like his dancing style was going to mirror his epiphany.

He always had felt free while dancing, but the ongoing conflict inside him had always held him back a little. And now he could discover a whole new side of himself. To say that he was excited to do so, was a huge understatement.

 -

As the weeks went by, Levi found himself at the studio almost daily after his shifts. He hadn’t expected to bounce back into practice so easily after all these years. And yet it was like nothing ever happened. It was as if he’d sprained an ankle and to wait a few weeks to continue. To be fair, it wasn’t like he never danced a little or did some exercises to not completely lose all his abilities. It’s just that he hadn’t stepped foot into a studio for a very long time.

Today he was on call, meaning that he wouldn’t be able to go to the studio. But thankfully, he had found an empty lab to stretch a little. He made sure nobody saw him going in, meaning not turning on the light to stop attracting nosey people. He actually preferred dancing in a dark room, since the atmosphere it created was just something very special.

It felt a little weird to be doing this in the hospital, but his body begged him to. Levi asked himself what could have been if he hadn’t taken that break all those years ago. Could he have made it into a company? Did he even want to make it? Would he still be a doctor? Probably not. Maybe he could’ve been the greatest ballet dance Seattle has ever seen? Who knows?

Although he loved the ballet, he would’ve never been happy if he had to quit med school for it. He knew that giving up ballet for medical school was the right decision. Ever since he was a boy, he wanted to be a doctor, helping people. It’s always been his dream to become one. Probably for as long as he could remember. But so was the ballet. He was caught in the struggle of doing the one thing while maintaining the other for many years. And although he made the right decision by choosing medical school, it hurt him a lot.

-

Levi just wanted to do a quick stretch, using the windowsill as a substitute for a barre, and yet, 20 minutes later he found himself pushing away the desks to the walls of the lab to make room in the middle. He looked around, making sure that really nobody was watching him and then put in his earbuds. The music started blasting in his ears and usually, this would’ve been perfect, but he was still on call, so he had to hear the beeper in an emergency.

This room might not be the perfect place to dance, but after stretching, his body got greedy and wanted a quick little practice. Even if it was just one song. And even if it was in an old and abandoned lab of the hospital he was working in.

The lab soon became his favorite place to hang out, so whenever he was on call and his friends were going home, he would sneak into it for a few minutes before taking a nap in the on-call room. He hadn’t told anyone about this yet.

-

Eventually, Levi had told his mom about him taking up ballet again. At first, she wasn’t sure if he’s just joking, but after he invited her to visit him in the studio she smiled. And when she saw his concentration, the passion, his smile, she couldn’t help but to shed a few tears.

She knew how much it had pained him to quit ballet, because although he always just called it a break, they both knew that there was a possibility of him never dancing again. He tried to hide it, but she was his mother and they were so close, so of course she had noticed it.

In retrospect, Levi’s seemingly sudden cheerfulness didn’t come so out of nowhere after all. She suspected that maybe he had met someone, but she didn’t want to prod. He would’ve told her when he was ready. And well, here they were now.

Although he had moved out into a house with his friends that also were interns at the hospital, they were still very close. She was glad.

-

“Levi,” his mother spoke softly after he just finished drying off the dishes from dinner. He turned around to see her standing in the doorway with a smile on her face and eyes glistening with tears.

“Mom, are you alright?” He asked worried. His mom sniffled while nodding and wiping away the tears. He went into the living room to get her some tissues, but she already followed him and sat down on the couch, signing him to sit down next to her.

“Levi, Honey, I love you so much. I’m so proud of you and of what you have accomplished.

“I remember watching Coppélia with you in that old little theater when you were just a little boy. You were so fascinated by the ballet dancers, the music, the backdrops. You wanted to be like those dancers so bad. And when we went to your first class, I knew that I was perfect for you. You looked so adorable and carefree. It was the most beautiful sight a mother could ever wish for.

“I know that you struggled when you had to take this break from dancing for medical school, but seeing you like this again, it just makes me feel so fortunate to be here and be by your side,” she said with a radiant smile, causing Levi to also break into tears.

“Oh mom,” he croaked before hugging her tight. He knew that she always supported him, but hearing those words just made him realize again how lucky he got to have a mother like her.

-

When Levi’s old trainer heard that his former protégé was dancing again, he was smiling widely and pulled the young man into a tight hug. His trainer was a now 67 years old man with kind green eyes and fluffy grey hair who had always given Levi a feeling of warmth and comfort. Simon had been his trainer ever since Levi was 7 years old. Whenever he was feeling down, Simon found a way to cheer him up.

They had stayed in contact even after he had started medical school, since Levi was like a son to him. The two had butted heads sometimes, but it never got to a point where one of them would’ve walked away from the other one.

Levi had hesitated to tell him. It’s not like he wasn’t confident in his abilities, but he used to be his trainer after all and he didn’t want to disappoint him.

It turns out, his worries were unnecessary.

After a few days of Simon annoying him, he had agreed to letting Simon watch him dance in the studio. He got a little nervous, but Simon assured him that he couldn’t disappoint him, calming Levi down a little bit. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and started the music.

Simon grinned when he saw the young man’s swift and confident movements. His double cabriole derrière was still as perfect as it used to be and watching his graceful grand jeté, made Simon feel like nothing has changed. Of course, there were a few minor deficiencies in overall posture and his pointe work, but that was nothing a few months of exercise couldn’t fix.

When the song was over, Levi was a little anxious to turn around, but hearing Simon clap, made him exhale in relief.

“So, uh… What do you think?” Levi asked after finally turning around and looking at Simon.

“Levi, what do you think about having a trainer again?”

-

Having Simon back as his trainer again didn’t even feel as weird as Levi had assumed it would be. He was still the same kind man he’s always been, but he was also still very strict which Levi very much appreciated. Sometimes he would forget that he just wanted to get his confidence and posture back again so that he wasn’t a stammering mess anymore every second he saw Nico.

However, he still was.

And right now, he hid in the lab from him. The last time he saw Nico Kim, was in the clinic where the fellow explained him something about Lincoln’s new superhero prosthetics. He was about to give Levi a Thunder-themed prototype to look at it in detail, but the intern wasn’t prepared for their hands to touch, so he jumped in surprise and let the prosthetic fall down. It didn’t break or anything, but Levi cursed to himself, picked the prototype up and then sped away without looking Nico in the eye. He was on call right now anyways so if there really was an emergency, he would just get beeped.

Now that he had Simon training him again, he got new choreographies. He remembered when Simon gave him his first choreography. He was so excited and giddy and really wanted to perfect it as fast as possible. And right now, he felt exactly the same. He put in his earbuds and started the music, swaying his body to the rhythm of it and freeing himself from his thoughts of embarrassment he caused in front of Nico.

What he didn’t knew was that he had an audience.

-

Nico fought hard to hide the hint of amusement when Levi had let the prototype fall down, picked it up again just to shove it back into Nico’s hand and then flee the scene. For a moment he thought about going after him, assuring him that it’s not a big deal, but then he decided against it. However, he still wanted to see where the intern always disappeared to.

He was sure that no one else had noticed it yet, but whenever Levi was on call, he would always be somewhere else for a while and _then_ go to the on call room to take a nap. It wasn’t as if he was tracking him. No, if he did, then he would’ve already known where Levi was disappearing to.

That’s why decided to sneakily… follow him. Not because he was nosey, he usually wasn’t. It’s just that he was a little more curious if anything involved the cute intern.

He followed Levi into a remote part of the hospital and stopped behind a corner when the other man was checking if anybody was watching him, before entering an abandoned lab. Carefully, he approached the door as not to alarm Levi. The door had a small glass section through which he could technically look into the room, but due to the glass being very thick and milky, he couldn’t see a thing. He then remembered that those labs had a second room attached to them with one of those mirror glasses where the one side could see what the other one was doing, but not the other way around.

Nico struggled with the decision whether he really wanted to invade Levi’s privacy like this, but then the curiosity won. He quietly opened the door of the observation room and looked through the glass. What he then saw, was something he didn’t expected.

He didn’t even know what he expected that Levi was doing in there, but he sure as hell didn’t think he’d see him dance. And it looked like… ballet?

He actually just wanted to get a quick peak and then leave again, but he was just so fascinated by the man’s grace that he couldn’t look away. He couldn’t even hear the music and yet, it was so beautiful.

He knew how he was going to spend his time when they both were on call.

-

Every time Nico set foot into the observation room of the lab, he felt a little guilty for invading Levi’s privacy like that. The intern wouldn’t be here in the dark if he wanted an audience. And yet, it didn’t stop Nico from sneaking in whenever he gets the chance, hoping to catch Levi on the other side.

Today, the other room was empty. It was no surprise, because Levi wasn’t even on call today. But knowing that he usually was there dancing, somehow put Nico at ease.

He knew that he should tell Levi that he was watching him dance. But it’s been going on for weeks and he should’ve done it a long time ago. And now it would only be longer with every day that passed. He told himself that the next time he would see him in there, he would tell him. He would apologize for being a creepy peeping Tom and then tell him won’t do it again.

Of course, he would hope for Levi to allow him to stay, but he already knew that this wasn’t happening. He just wanted to watch him dance one more time before coming clean, because seeing the intern so confident and carefree wasn’t just simply beautiful. It was also hot as fuck and lately that image has been haunting Nico dreams.

The moment he saw the intern, he knew that he had fallen for him. He was cute and nerdy and so smart. There was no scenario in which he wouldn’t have fallen for him. Really, there was none. He tried thinking of one, but his brain blacked out whenever he tried and instead showed him an image of Levi doing some breathtaking spinny… thing on the tips of his toes.

Nico was never the type to panic when seeing someone he liked. He was always the confident and cocky one and had no problems flirting back. He adored Levi’s nervousness and increased clumsiness when he flirts with him. But now the tables have turned, and he was so, so confused.

He liked being the one seducing. And now he was the one being seduced by someone who didn’t even knew what he was doing to Nico.

In hindsight, he was glad that Levi wasn’t there today. Although that conversation might happen very soon, he just wasn’t ready for it yet.

-

Levi was excited. Yesterday he met up with some of his old friends from ballet. Most people in his group took a break like him and then later continued dancing. Two got into well-known companies. It got him thinking if he could’ve made it into one. Not that he wanted to, he was just curious.

But that didn’t matter, because right now he was about to go to his favorite hiding spot, when he saw Dr. Lincoln and his fellow standing in the hallway, in front of the lab. His eyes grew big as he quickly turned around and hid behind a corner. Why were they even here? There was nothing besides empty labs– Shit, maybe they were looking for a room to work on Lincoln’s special prosthetics. Great. If one of them would open the wrong door, they would see him and probably make fun of him. And now they even entered _his_ lab. He sighed and already his said goodbye to his little space of privacy. It wasn’t like he was there every day. He maybe went in there once or twice a week, depending on his schedule and plans. But this space grew on him and he didn’t want to lose it just yet.

A few minutes later the two doctors exited the room again and left. Levi wasn’t sure if he should go in there now, but he was on call and his friends all had dates or were visiting family, so where else was he supposed to go?

Going in, he was feeling a bit more on edge than usual, constantly expecting someone to burst in. The music from his earbuds calmed him a bit down, and when he was done stretching and started dancing, his anxiety was already gone again.

Simon had created another new choreography and Levi had absolutely fallen for it. Since Simon had retired a few years ago, Levi was currently his only student which made working with him even more special than it already had been. Simon knew him since he had been a child and has watched him grow into the man that he was today.

One of the best things of this choreography however, was the song. The moment he had heard it, he knew that he wanted to dance to it. So when he came home after hearing it for the first time, he told Simon about it. He grinned when his teacher told him that he was already working on it since he knew that his protégé would love it.

Levi closed his eyes and let himself get lost in the music and the choreography while mouthing the lyrics of the song. His technique had improved immensely since the first time he had found this room. His movements were already steadier and smoother and his en pointe was almost the way it was before the break. It actually wasn’t so common for men to go en pointe, especially not when Levi was still a young boy, but Simon’s class was different from the conservative ones. He was glad that it was part of Simon’s training though. To finally go en pointe was time-consuming and there was no guarantee that everyone who trained for it, would actually achieve it in the end, but Levi made it and he was proud of himself when he did.

Opening his eyes, he went into a Fouetté with 4 spins and looked at the clock on the wall to use it as his spotting point. After his first turn he felt like he saw something at the door. After his second turn he noticed that there was definitely something at the door and after turn number 3, he realized that it was a person.

“Fucking hell,” Levi cursed startled and heard his ankle snap when he tried to abruptly stop his Fouettés.

“Shit shit shit, no,” he hissed while ripping out his earbuds, when the mysterious person quickly helped him up and lifted him onto one of the desks near the wall. He took off his lab coat and crumpled it up so that Levi could put his foot on it.

 _‘You are the rite of movement, its reasonin' made lucid and cool, I know it's_ _no improvement, when you move, I move’_

“I – Oh god, I’m just getting a cold pack, I’m back in a second okay?” Fuck. Even before looking up Levi knew exactly who that voice belonged to. It was Nico’s. And he had just seen him crash and burn. Great. That’s just fucking great.

-

Nico hadn’t planned on watching him like this. Being in the same room as him while he was dancing, however, was so different from having mirror glass between them, that he couldn’t move or look away. He actually just came back, because he forgot his phone, but then he saw Levi dancing so beautifully.

He should’ve said something earlier so that Levi wouldn’t’ve gotten hurt. He cursed himself while he was running to get the cooling pack and other things to patch the intern up. Dammit, he felt so bad for fucking up like this. He should’ve spoken to him weeks ago when he had the chance.

When he entered the room again, Levi was still sitting on the desk with his foot propped up on Nico’s white coat. The intern’s head shot up when the door had opened, but sunk again when he realized that it was Nico. Wow, he really messed up big time.

Nico rushed to the table and carefully took off Levi’s shoe, causing the intern to hiss in pain.

“I am so sorry. For real Levi, I am so sorry,” Nico apologized profusely after putting the cooling pad on the injured ankle. Levi sighed and reassuringly patted Nico’s shoulder, sending shivers down the other man’s spine.

“It’s okay. Stop apologizing, it was an accident,” he muttered. He still hadn’t looked Nico in the eye.

“Okay I’ll stop. I’m just gonna examine your ankle, alright?” Nico asked to which Levi just nodded.

-

“Hey uhm, why were you even in here?” Levi asked after Nico had put a pain relief cream on his ankle and a bandage around his foot. He wanted to ask for a few minutes now, but with Nico constantly touching him, he knew that his voice wouldn’t have been stable enough. At least he had finally managed to look up into the fellow’s brown eyes that were fixed on his ankle.

“Hm?” Nico’s head shot up, “Oh I – uh, I forgot my phone in here and then… I just couldn’t look away. I’m sor –“

“What did I just say?”

“Yes, right I’m sor – uh, you know,” Nico stuttered nervously, “I actually have a confession to make,” he added quiety. Levi frowned in confusion, motioning him to spill whatever he wanted to say.

“I uhm – I’ve seen you before.” Levi furrowed his brow in even bigger confusion. What was he going on about? Of course he has seen him before, they’re working together – _Ohhhhhhhhhh. Shit no._

“I’ve seen you dance before. And not just once. It’s been quite a few times already and I should’ve told you, yes I know. But dude, you’re – You’re amazing! Really, I – I just couldn’t look away. Because it’s just so… you know. Really… uh, wow. Amazing, I mean. And today was totally an accident I swear, because usually I’m on the other side of this lab and oh god that sounds so creepy. I’m not some weirdo stalker, I swear,” Nico rambled. Could he please stop acting like he has never talked before? Wow.

He looked at Levi who was just staring at him in shock. Did he just break him? He already caused him to hurt his ankle, maybe his brain was the next step.

“Levi? Are you – Are you okay?”

“I – Yes. Yes I’m okay. I just didn’t expect you to – I don’t know. I don’t know what I expected you to say.” The intern stared at Nico for a moment before softly smiling.

“So you, you enjoyed watching me… dance?” He asked carefully, still not able to believe what he just heard.

“Oh yes, totally! It’s so impressive how you can move your body like this. Like, for once you’re not cute, but really hot and wow,” Shit did he just say that out loud?

“Hot, huh?” Levi smirked. For once he wasn’t the one stress sweating and he enjoyed every second of it.

“Ye –“ Nico croaked and cleared his throat, “yeah, hot. Like you’re really fucking hot, Levi.”

Although he tried to play it cool, Levi’s cheeks quickly turned very warm and red.

-

“So, what are you doing now? Are you going home?”

“I’m on call and my ankle is healed up again, so I’m gonna go to the lab to prepare a little for my class tonight.” Nico was still the only person in this hospital who knew about him dancing ballet. Secretly, he hoped that it would stay like this for a little while, because it made him feel more special.

“Oh, well enjoy then. I’m gonna… take a nap or something in the on call room. See you around,”

“Yeah, see you around,” he replied, but then stopped and turned back around.

“Hey, Nico?” The other man looked at him inquiringly.

“Do you… do you maybe wanna come with me?” Levi asked to which Nico of course nodded. Trailing after the ballet dancer like a puppy, he grinned.

-

“Alright, so if you beat your legs together in a 45 degree angle it’s a petite cabriole. And if it’s 90 degrees, it’s a grand cabriole, right?”

“Yes, that’s right,” Levi confirmed with a proud grin. Nico was remembering the poses and movements that Levi executed very quickly and the ballet dancer didn’t know if it was because the fellow was interested in ballet or in him. It might’ve been a mixture of both, though.

“And that spinny thing you did when I surprised you is called a Foutête.”

“Fouetté, but very close,” Levi corrected him. This was nice. It really was. He was surprised that he would feel so comfortable about dancing in front of Nico.

“Ahh, right, right.”

-

It’s been two weird weeks for Levi. It’s not like Nico and him were a thing, but there was definitely something going on. And he knew that they were both feeling it. They still haven’t been on any dates, but at the same time Nico would follow him into the lab whenever he was free. Even when he was already off and could’ve gone home, he would stay those 30 to 45 minutes with Levi in the lab until the younger on went to get a nap. It was really sweet how fascinated the ortho fellow has been and how he wanted to learn all the names of the poses that Levi would hold. Like a hidden, cute little nerd. Levi had to laugh when thinking of it.

“What’s so funny?” Nico asked with his brow furrowed. He somehow sensed that this was about him. Levi’s little giggle that followed, was the confirmation.

“Oh nothing, really,” Levi teased. Nico squinted his eyes, not believing one second of Levi’s bullshit.

“Suuure,” he just muttered, but also chuckled.

Together, they walked to the cafeteria to grab a quick bite. It was almost 3 am, so the entire hall was empty except for Tim and Hiram who were talking to each other at the checkout. The two doctors grabbed each one of the sandwiches while Nico also took a piece of the walnut pie that Levi was starting at before grabbing an apple.

“We could split the pie if you want to,” Nico suggested, snapping Levi out of his trance.

“Hm? Oh no I’m deathly allergic to walnuts, but thanks,” Levi explained, “maybe on apple pie day.”

“Allergic, huh? I’m absolutely gonna remember this then,” Nico replied and winked at the intern as they reached the checkout.

“Doctor Kim, Doctor Schmitt, good evening,” Tim said as he began to type in the food into the till. The both doctors nodded and Levi turned to Nico in confusion.

“Why would you even want to remember that?”

“Because he obviously has the hots for you,” Hiram said in a matter-of-fact way.

“I mean, who can blame him?” Tim added with a wink. Wow, what was going on today?

It wasn’t like Nico liking him was some kind of new information. But hearing someone else say it out loud and Nico not denying it, but grinning in confirmation, did definitely send some shivers down his spine and made the butterflies dance in his stomach. He said nothing and was about to get his wallet out of the pocket, when Nico stopped him from it by patting his hand.

“I got it,” he said with a smirk and gave Tim the money.

“You really don’t have to –“

“Oh I know that I don’t have to. I want to. You can get it next time, alright?” Levi just nodded.

“Well that looks like you’re having a cute little date right now, doesn’t it?” Hiram teased with a shit eating grin.

“What? We – it’s just –“ Levi stammered. Shit. Why did he have to panic right now? There isn’t even much to panic about. Nico was just buying him food. He loved free food.

“Yes, it is,” Nico replied, putting his arm around Levi’s shoulders which caused the younger one to turn his head and look at the ortho fellow in surprise. He felt his heart almost jumping out of his chest. What a slick little shit.

“Aww, you’re so cute together. Enjoy your date!” Tim said before the two doctors left.

Levi was aiming for a table in the back, but Nico just took his hand, again sending shivers down Levi’s spine, and guided him out of the cafeteria to the lab. His heart was beating so fast, just by Nico holding his hand. He was sure that he will soon have a heart attack. How was he supposed to be okay, if Nico always confused him, but at the same time made him feel so fuzzy and warm inside? How was this man making him feel so many things at once?

The lab was pitch-black. He had never once turned the light on since he didn’t want to get caught, but today, he would like to see his food. However, Nico stopped him from doing so, when the bent down to insert a plug into the socket under the light switch.

Numerous fairy lights started to light up the room in a warm light. It was so beautiful. Levi couldn’t say a word, so he just smiled softly at Nico and took the other man’s hand to sit down with him, leaning against a wall. They just ate their sandwiches, there was no talking, just a comfortable silence hanging over them and between the fairy lights.

Levi leaned his head against Nico’s shoulder and suddenly, there was not an ounce of nervousness left in Levi’s body. He felt so calm and cozy and all he could think of was that he didn’t want to end it.

-

“Are you free tonight?” Levi asked as he and Nico were waiting for the elevator. He has been thinking about Nico all day after yesterday’s… _date_. It wasn’t like any date he was on before. They were just sitting there on the floor of the lab with Levi’s head on Nico’s shoulder who had slung his arm around the younger doctor until both of their beepers called them down to the emergency room. They didn’t say a word and just enjoyed each other’s company. To Levi, it was perfect.

Surprised, Nico turned his head to look at the younger man. Was Levi trying to ask him out? He didn’t get asked out a lot. Usually, he was the one doing the asking, so the question kinda caught him off-guard. Just as off-guard as Levi’s hand that was suddenly on his shoulder, squeezing it a little bit. Oh the intern knew exactly what he was doing. Nico’s cheeks suddenly got very hot again and he tried to hide it, but it was already too late.

“Me? Er – sure, yes I am free tonight! To… to uh hang out?” Nico cleared his throat to try to act all calm and collected. But Levi just smirked. He loved watching the usually so confident man squirm.

“Wait, don’t you have a class with your old trainer tonight?” He then asked and wasn’t sure if Levi forgot about it or if it was somehow cancelled. He hoped for the latter, because he really wanted to spend the evening with Levi. But then the intern surprised him.

“Yes, I do. Would you like to come? …with me?” Coming with him? To the studio? Watching him dance? His eyes widened and for a second, he didn’t know what to say.

“Really?” Nico asked in disbelief.

“Only if you want to, of course. I just thought that maybe you’d like to –“

“Yes! Definitely. Yes, I’d like to… come with you,” Nico said with a cocky smile and winked, causing Levi to giggle. Embarrassed, he turned away and entered the elevator which doors had just opened. Nico quickly followed suit and stopped right behind Levi.

“Wow, that was just insanely cute,” the fellow whispered into Levi’s right ear. Levi was glad that Nico couldn’t see the deep shade of red that his cheeks were turning into.

-

Levi’s trainer was very nice, Nico noticed. While Levi was warming up, Simon explained the other man the basics of the choreography to Nico who already knew some ballet lingo and impressed the trainer.

“He told me a little bit about the different turns and jumps, because I just called them spinny things. Then I read up on it online and now I feel like a dictionary on ballet poses,” Nico explained laughing.

“Wow Levi, this one here is a keeper,” Simon teased with a smirk. It’s not like Levi officially had a coming out or something, but his trainer knew the second Levi had told him about his _friend_ tagging along, that he must’ve been special to the boy.

“Yeah Levi, did you hear that? I’m a keeper,” Nico repeated with a shiteating grin while going over to the barre where Levi was stretching. Damn, he was so beautiful bent over like that. Just thinking about it made his heart beat a little faster and he had to bite his lip which Levi noticed and smirked. In a swift movement, he turned around, getting his leg down from the barre and letting himself fall backwards into Nico’s arms, who reflexively caught him. Levi’s neck rested on Nico’s shoulder, his lips almost touching Nico’s ear while the man’s strong arms were tightly wrapped around Levi’s waist.

“Oh yeah, I’m definitely gonna keep you,” Levi whispered, lightly touching Nico’s earlobe when he spoke. The dancer’s warm breath sent shivers down Nico’s spine and he didn’t knew if he was feeling hot or cold.

“Alright, alright lovebirds. Let’s start,” Simon laughed.

-

Simon wouldn’t be lying if he said that Nico’s heart eyes were glued to Levi the whole time. It’s been two hours and not once, did the other man look away to check his phone or look out of the window or something. He could see the admiration and adoration that the man had for Levi and it warmed his heart to see it.

“Alright, I’d say were almost finished for today. I just want you to practice your pirouettes one more time and then you’re good to go,” Simon said before starting to push the barre to its original spot. Levi furrowed his brow in confusion. Simon usually gave him some support on his first pirouette. Having noticed the look on his face, Simon chuckled.

“I’m putting everything back to its place, but if you need support, I’m sure your friend Nico is strong enough to help you out over there,” he added with a smirk. Levi grinned slick while Nico’s eyes grew big in panic. He didn’t even know what to do. What if he does something wrong and Levi gets hurt again?

“Oh, I don’t know if that’s such a good idea –“

“Just, come here. I’m gonna explain what you have to do, alright?” The dancer said smiling and reached with his hand for Nico to pull him closer. Just like before in the elevator, Nico was standing right behind him. He felt Levi take both of his hands and placing them on his waist.

“Okay, so after I go en pointe, spin me around, at first slow and steady so that you can get the hang of it, but then you can increase the speed a little if you want, alright?” He tried to sound encouraging, but when he turned aroumd, he saw the doubt on Nico’s face.

“What if I hurt you again? I can’t –“

“Then don’t. I’m sure these muscles have to be good for something,” he reassured him while slowly letting his hands wander over Nico’s arms.

“I trust you,” he added and turned back around while still being so damn close. Levi went en pointe again, before slowly being spun by Nico. The man’s hands around his waist felt so fucking good, he wished he could feel them everywhere right now. Using Nico’s face as spotting point, he noticed the concentration in the other man’s face. He was absolutely stunning.

After a few spins, Levi took one of Nico’s hands from his waist and raised it above his head to spin under it. Since he was now controlling of the speed of his spins again, he slowed down and threw his arms around Nico’s neck, coming to an abrupt stop. Levi smiled softly, as their noses were just a few inches apart from each other.

“You are so fucking hot right now,” Nico whispered, his voice even deeper than usual.

“Wanna take a cold shower with me?” Levi retorted with a wink.

“Fuck,” the older man hissed as he noticed just how dangerously close he was to Levi’s lips. His lips looked so soft and all he wanted to do was feeling them on his own. If he would just move a little bit, he could probably do that. And maybe he should, because they’ve been dancing around each other ever since they met and Nico didn’t know how much longer he could continue this.

But before he could even finish his thoughts, Levi crashed his lips into Nico’s in a hungry kiss. Surprised, the other man tightened his grip around Levi and slipped his tongue into Levi’s mouth, exploring it slowly. He moaned softly when he felt the wetness and heat of Levi’s mouth.

They quickly parted when they heard steps coming from the hallway. Nico smirked when he noticed that Levi’s glasses had fogged up pretty heavily.

“What do you think of dinner at my place? We can get some takeout,” the older one suggested while gently caressing Levi’s cheek.

“Sounds wonderful.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so, so much for reading! Y'all are the best. If you got a prompt for me, i got a new username on tumblr which is @orthoglasses :)


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